How cold on average can English peas get and still survive? I have a few hundred plants around 5 weeks old/2 inches high and it got down to 16 degrees here last night. They looked a bit sick this morning, the leaves were wilty and darker than they had been but after a sunny day today they seemed like they had snapped back. It's supposed to get into the teens again tonight and then they're predicting freezing rain for Wed night so I'm wondering if I'm going to be replanting Thursday...
I have about a dozen plants I put in a raised bed in November that I have been covering with plastic when it gets cold that are flowering and they didn't seem bothered... Too many of the other ones to cover though.
They are 'Premium' from Johnny's and 'Mr. Big' I think from territorial if there is a wide variance in cultivars.
Jeff
Cold Peas
They usually are only affected if the ground freezes. That cuts offs thier water supply and they freeze dry. It rarely goes below 20 here and only for short periods so no problems.
Current status of the Willet Wonder
Thanks for the response Farmerdill. Hmm well I'm definetly walking right on the line then. The top inch or so of soil has been frozen in the morning but thawing out by 11 AM or so. I'll keep my fingers crossed for them. If they look bad when we get a little warmer I'll plant some more just in case...
Excuse me for butting in, but you actually sow peas in the ground this early? I'm only a zone or two colder but had waited til mid March for peas, then it gets hot on them early summer.
In middle to south Georgia, most of us overwinter English peas. Rome, which is north Georgia may be pushing the envelope. Except for the the eastern shore area, March should be about right for Maryland. The rule of thumb is as soon as the ground thaws out and is dry enough to plant. Here I plant smooth seeded cultivars in December and the wrinkle seeded cultivars in February. Back in Virginia, I had to wait until March to plant.
I've always got my sugar snaps in the ground to late. Heat and spidermites get them before I can get much so this year I'm doing them in Feb. Have the bed prepped and ready to go. It's suppose to rain today and tomorrow(small percentage) so I hope to get them in the ground on Friday depending on how wet we get.
P
Well, so far so good. They looked unhappy again this morning but once the sun came out they perked up again. Here's a pic.
Here's one of the plants I've been covering with plastic. It's not very happy at the moment because I keep breaking off parts when I cover it. Also I think the cold killed the blossoms off it.
thanks Farmerdill. right now not at all thinking about ground thawing anytime soon!!